Weekend escape: a luxury off-grid cabin that reminds you of the pleasure of going analogue
Spending several days in a serene woodland cabin with my phone locked away was a wonderful chance to spend time in nature – and a reminder that our phones aren’t as essential as we let ourselves believe.
Like many people, I have a love-hate relationship with my phone. I’m acutely aware of how it drains my time and attention span on what is, 99% of the time, worthless. I find myself absent-mindedly picking it up seconds after I’ve put it down. I know this and yet I struggle to leave my phone alone.
So the idea of a phone-free stay in a luxury cabin was certainly an interesting one. This is what Samsú promises to be. Created by Rosanna Irwin, a self-confessed workaholic and technology addict, she came up with the idea of Samsú to help people disconnect and find solace in nature. Although going phone-free during your stay is not compulsory, and entirely self-policed, I liked the idea of trying it, although I did wonder if I would give in to the lure of the apps.
Arriving at the location, shared through a what3words square (so you know it’s not near any marked road!), you park and a trolley to help you bring your bags awaits, while signs lead you along a track to your cabin.
It’s a delight once you reach it, its black exterior and small footprint nestled into the surrounding trees. Powered by solar energy, it has other eco-friendly touches such as a compost toilet (a first for me, but not unpleasant to use!), and Voya toiletries.
Once inside, there is a welcome kit, with a box to lock your phone in; a film camera so you can still capture memories of your stay; a radio and cassette player complete with cassette tapes; journals; sleep sprays and a guide of ways to spend your time.
There are also books and games for you to enjoy. There is a light phone (a phone which does not emit light, and with minimal features) which people can contact you on in case of an emergency, or should you want to get in touch with someone.
Phones safely locked away, we enjoyed familiarising ourselves with everything in the cabin. It’s small but has everything you need, and its plywood interior is simple but stylish. The kitchen has two gas hobs and a fridge, there is sleek tableware, robust pots and pans and tea and coffee making equipment. I almost wished it was colder so we could light the stove, as I imagine this would be so cosy, but the warm weather had plenty of other benefits. We head to bed, looking forward to exploring more the next day.
Waking up, we immediately appreciate the positioning of the king-size bed we’ve had a restful sleep in. Set on a raised platform, it is lined along two sides by long windows, making it feel almost like you’re in a treehouse. It was raining, but we opened the windows a little and enjoyed a lie-in listening to the rain patter off the leaves.
